Water-wheel



2 Sheets-Shet 1.

(No Model.) v

D. UULVER.

WATER-WHEEL.

No. 456,402. v 1 Patented July 21, 1891.

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2Sheets-Sheet 2. D. GULVER.

(No Model.)

L E E H W R E m A W Patented July 21, 1891.

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v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID OULVER, OF WILKES-BARRF, PENNSYLVANIA.

WATER-WH EEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,402, dated July 21,18912- Application filed November 13, 1890. Serial No. 371,379. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DAVID OULVER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at 'Wilkes-Barr, in the county of Luzerne and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Water-Wheels, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain improvements in water-wheel powers;and it consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, ashereinafter disclosed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a wheel of myimproved water-wheel power. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same, partlybroken away and partly in section. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation ofFig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is a longitudinalsection of my improved water-wheel power, and Fig. 5 is a plan view ofthe same.

In the embodiment of my invention I provide a fiume A, having its bottoma inclined on each side of and toward its center transversely, thusgiving said bottom a double incline, and in this fiume I arrangewaterwheels B B, six being shown; but any number may be used. The fiumeA is also provided with a chute or conductor 0 near one end, and isadapted to conduct the water let into it from any suitable source orhead to the wheels B. The double inclined bottom a throws the watertoward the peripheries of wheels and the center of the fiume to rendermore efiective its action upon the paddles of the wheels,as will morefully appear furtheron.

The fiume A has a centrallongitudinalpartition b, dividing it off intotwo compart- 1nents,each containing an equal number of wheels B, theaction of opposite wheels upon the Water thus being prevented frominterfering with each other and at the same time permitting each wheelto havean equal depth of submergence. Also secured in fiume A are aseries of edgewise-disposed boards or deflectors O C, so arranged as tocause the discharge of the water, leaving one wheel to impinge or actupon the supply side of the next wheel.

The wheels B B are provided with paddles B B, hung or pivoted inposition upon the upper series of the radial spokes 0 thereof,

each pairare bolted together and to peripheral rod-braces D, the boltsalso passing through eyes at the ends of said rods and through sleeves dinterposed between said spokes.

The shafts E of the wheels B, passing through the hubs D thereof, arestopped or bear at their lower ends in preferably chilled metal socketse, countersunk and secured in the bottom of fiume A, the said shaftsalso passing up through cross-bars g g, and spools 0r pulleys f, restingupon said bars, themselves resting and secured upon the top edges of thesides of thefiume. Around all the pulleys f are passed chain belts G,also engaging a series of circumferential grooves h of a commonspool-like pulley H, fast upon a shaft I, secured uponthe central one ofthe cross-bars g g.-

The'shaft I, which is designed to extend into an upper closure or roomwhere connection may be made therewith for transmitting its power to themachinery to be driven, it will be seen, receives the combineddrivingpower of all the wheels B, thereby producing a powerful andefficient motor.

J is a valve consisting of a board pivoted or hung about centrally in .acorresponding opening in the bottom of the chute O'and adapted to beopened and closed by a handlever K, pivoted to the cross-piece of theupright frame is, secured at one end of the chute 0, said lever beinglinked, as at e, about centrally to a cross-bar m, connectedat its endsby rods n n to the chute or valve J. It will therefore be seen that whenthe valve J is closed or flush with the bottom of the chute O the waterentering the latter will pass to the wheels B but by opening said valve,ef-

fected by pulling downward upon the lever K, the Water Willbe divertedfrom said Wheels, passing down through the chute-opening and bedeflected forward under the fiume by the valve, as may be desired.

Having thus fullydescribed my invention, whatI claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

The Water-wheel motor having a series of water-wheels arranged in aflume having a double-inclined bottom and a central longitudinal edgeWise-disposed board or partition, and the inclined edgeWise-arrangedboards adapted to direct the water from one series In testimony whereofI affix my signature in :0

presence of two witnesses.

DAVID CULVER. Witnesses:

XV. A. ONEILL, PHILIP ONEILL.

